The Edges of the Earth
by Talking to Bananas
Summary: This story takes place directly after Dead Man's Chest. It deals with the fate of Jack Sparrow, his precious Pearl, and his former crew's attempt along with Will and Elizabeth to save him before it is too late.
1. Prisoner

**A/N: Just to get this over with** **I shall say, I do not, nor have I ever owned anything having to do with Pirates of the Carribean. **

**Anyway, this is a story set directly after Dead Man's Chest and it talks about what comes of Jack after the Kraken's attack and the rest of his crew's journey along with Will and Elizabeth to try to save him before it's too late.**

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Pirates of the Caribbean:

The Edges of the Earth

The seas tossed the devastated ship like a cork afloat on the waves. Its black sails raged and tore in the wind and the pitch black water washed over its deck in gushing surges that peeled the dark wood slowly from the _Black Pearl_. Rain pounded on the craft like a giant, pummeling it. Lying in the midst of this chaos was a man. That man was Captain Jack Sparrow.

His head lolled against the rail of the deck and his eyes were closed, the black smudges around his eyes streaking his face. The current tried to toss him into the depths of the dark water, but his arm was wrapped firmly around the ship. His other hand was clenched tightly around his sword. Every once and a while, mild utterances of "bugger" or "beastie" would escape his lips.

A particularly large swell leaped over the ships edge and crashed down upon Jack. Rolling his neck disjointedly, Jack finally opened his eyes slowly. His pupils expanded to adjust to the darkness and the deep brown of his eyes were barely visible as he took in the situation around him quickly. His head turned as he looked around. The sea around him was deserted. The black water blurred at the horizon in every direction he looked. He stood with difficulty because of the rough current, and his legs shook slightly as he steadied himself.

He shut his eyes again, trying to recall the last memory that he had before he was landed here. Those lips. The shackles. That foul breath upon him. That was right; the Kraken had attacked him. As a dutiful captain he gone down with his ship, or so that was how the story would be told. He tasted bitterness in his mouth as he had tasted Elizabeth what seemed like so long ago.

Looking around once more, he tried to find where he had emerged from. He couldn't remember anything after those fangs had closed in on him except for blood; he wasn't sure if it was his or the Kraken's. Probably a little bit of both. His dirt covered fingers traced over himself, traveling over his chest to his arms to his face. Everything seemed intact. He couldn't understand what had happened.

As he tried to wrap his mind around it, the seas around him suddenly began to calm. The wind changed from its westward motion into and upward flow that seemed to emanate from the seas itself. Jack could feel that something was wrong and turned to peer over the side of his deck. That was when he saw them.

They rose out of the water slowly, and their presence even made the formidable Jack Sparrow take a few steps back. They stepped onto the deck of _The_ _Pearl, _the dark waters of the sea clinging to their skin as if it seemed reluctant to release them onto the ship. As the waters subsided around them, Jack had the chance to study their appearance while still slowly retreating.

The ragged dresses that hung unflatteringly on their frames led him to the deduction that they were female. Their hair was limp and interwoven with decaying seaweed. Luminescent green eyes stared coldly out a Jack and their skin bore deep green and blue marks where the water had just clung to them that looked like bruises. Standing in the head of the group was one of the creatures that looked as if she was about to speak.

She strode toward him and Jack resisted the urge to shrink back under her strong presence. She was nearly a head taller than him, and he looked up at her, a sternness in his face. Her mouth opened, and he could smell the salt and of the ocean on her breath. She spoke slowly and deliberately, "Jack Sparrow. We were wondering if we'd ever see you here."

Jack leaned forward and then back again, slightly thrown off that she knew his name, "And where exactly would that be?"

"You don't know? You're at the edge of the earth Jack. Look into the water."

He crossed the deck of _The_ _Pearl, _careful to skirt around the rest of the creatures whose eyes were upon him, and peered over the edge of the ship. The seas had thinned and become paler when they had settled down and he could now see down into them. Looking up at him was a terrifying sight. Thousands of faces stared up at him from the mass of the water, horror showing on them. A knot began to grow in his chest.

A man near the surface reached up toward Jack, mouthing something, his face contorted in pain. As he reached for Jack's helped, a creature like the ones on the deck swooped though the water toward him, dragged him back down into the depths of the dark ocean. Jack pulled back from the rail, the knot in his chest growing larger. He turned to the creature and said, "Oh."

She turned to Jack, her eyes now angry, "Jack, we don't know why your ship is intact, but trust us; you will join the rest of those souls into the depths. _The Pearl _can't hold up forever."

With that, she turned and glided back toward the sea. The other creatures that were with her followed, their gazes leaving Jack with a chill creeping under his black coat. As tendrils of water reached up to take the creatures back to the sea. Jack's gaze followed them over the side of the water as the wind began to whip around him again. He knew the rain would start again soon. Looking over the water, Jack felt a tugging in his heart. The sea had always meant freedom to him…now he was its prisoner.

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**Reviews would be appreciated. The next chapter will be about his crew.**


	2. For Whom You Truly Love

Farther away, where the intricate stretches of the map had already been filled in, was a small shack. It was surrounded by a lush jungle and the river that led up to it was filled with water snakes. Inside, various oddities were hung from the ceiling including eyeballs, jewelry and something that looked like it had been crushed by a very weight at some point in time.

Also inside, were seven distraught shipmates of Jack Sparrow and as composed as ever, Tia Dalma. Will, Pintel, Gibbs, Marty and Cotton were in the back of the witches hut, planning for their journey to rescue Jack from his dark fate with Captain Barbosa. The only two left in the front of the shop were Elizabeth Swan and Tia Dalma. Tia was sitting at her table, idly fingering a heavy metal locket in the shape of a heart. Elizabeth was also sitting, in a chair slightly to the side of Tia's table.

Elizabeth was clutching a thick mug that had yet to be drunk from. She couldn't help running through the events of the past 24 hours in her mind. Had it really been that long ago that she had left Jack to die on that ship; that bloody ship. What kind of man would trade a ship for a fate so terrible as serving on _The Flying Dutchman_? A man who loved the sea, that's who.

She found herself thinking about Jack in the past tense and it hit her that he was really gone. What was the last thing that she had said to him? Did it really matter? She had betrayed him. Sent him to his death to save her own life; to save Will's life. That was all that mattered, that they were alive. She had told herself, just before she kissed Jack, that she was doing this all for Will. He had already survived two Kraken attacks, he surely couldn't combat the creature a third time. No, she had to do it.

Elizabeth had come to terms with her decision in the boat ride to Tia Dalma's, but her heart went cold when she heard of the proposed plan to rescue Jack. She couldn't face him again, not after she had betrayed him. The look on his face after he heard those shackles click was burned into her mind. She knew what it had said: _You're no better than me. _How had she gone from a governor's daughter to a filthy, betraying…pirate.

Finally taking a sip of the amber liquid in the cup that she had been offered to her hours ago, she was surprised to find that it was still warm. She felt her insides begin to thaw slightly and the stiffness with which she had been sitting was released. Straightening up, she looked over at Tia Dalma whose eyes were looking upon Elizabeth appraisingly. Avoiding Tia's gaze, lest she see into the disturbance that was still abundant in her soul, Elizabeth looked down upon the compass with which Tia's fingers were still toying with.

"It's beautiful," Elizabeth remarked at which Tia stood up. She walked over toward Elizabeth and looked down on her, holding her frame regally.

Catching Elizabeth's gaze, Tia held it intently. Elizabeth was slightly scared, afraid that her betrayal would be revealed. Tia blinked slowly; her eyes letting Elizabeth know that she could see her anxiety. Finally speaking, she looked down at the locket she was holding, "It was given to me many years ago. It is said that when in the presence of the one you truly love, it glows hot with your passion." At Elizabeth's blank look, she continued, "I have never felt it."

"Perhaps," she said, pressing the locket into Elizabeth's hand, "You could do with it more than I."

Elizabeth held it back up quickly to Tia who was already walking back to her table. Standing up and looking flustered, Elizabeth said, "I couldn't possibly take this…It's yours…I-I know who I love."

Tia played a bright green plume that was attached to a large jar next to her table as she answered with a knowing look on her face, "You do? Do you? Fine, if you choose not to keep it, you don't have to." Tia made no move to take back the locket and though Elizabeth mumbled once again about knowing who she loved, she tucked the locked into her bodice before moving into the other room.

As she stepped inside the men were standing around a table, seemingly having gotten no where. Two apple cores sat on the side of the table and Barbosa was sinking his teeth into a new apple. He stepped up next to Will, dripping some juice on to his shirt and saying, "It's no use getting out maps. Where Jack's gone is beyond that."

Will threw the maps off the table, looking at Barbosa with a mix of disgust and frustration. "So how exactly do you plan to rescue Jack then?" he asked.

Barbosa held up a correctional finger, "You see, that is where you have me wrong. It's you who plan to rescue Jack. Jack is the reason I ended up in the hellhole in the first place, isn't he?"

Will tilted his head and said, "Ended up where?"

Barbosa was about to answer when Gibbs said incredulously, "No? Not…"

"The depths. Yes, miles of black water that lead to nowhere and nothing good. Guarded by the harshest females that ever were on land or sea," Barbosa stated.

Will remarked quietly, "Jack should have no problem with them."

Gibbs continued, "The guardians of the depths, so they really do exist? I'll be damned. 'Twas a ship crewed by all females that they were on. Made a fine bit of plunder in their early days. Their hearts were restless, see. Couldn't stay in one place for a long time, so they went from port to port, leaving destruction in their path. Now, the pirates of old times couldn't stand for women taking all their plunder, so they attacked the ship and killed them all. They're spirits were said the roam the seas from then on; seeking revenge on all pirate souls that died, they would take a soul as soon as it left the poor lad and would remove it to the blackest part of the sea to live forever as a prisoner of the waters. That's why it's bad luck to have a woman aboard; no knowing what revenge they've planted in her soul. No offense Miss Elizabeth, we know you would not choose to harm anyone out of spite."

Will glanced at her coolly, pushing the image of her and Jack kissing out of his mind. He turned back to Barbosa, "Is all of this true?"

Barbosa nodded, "Yes, it is, but that still doesn't explain why I would venture back there to help a man that I hate."

Will looked shrewdly at him, thought quickly and said, "What other option do you have? The Kraken took _The Pearl _along with Jack. You can't hope to find a crew anywhere what with you being a mutineer and a once cursed one at that. Face it; you need Jack if you ever want to do some pirating again."

Barbosa seemed to consider it for a moment, before saying, "Out of the goodness of my heart. I've decided to join you in your quest to save…_Jack_." The final name came out in hiss of distaste. He began to walk out the door and turned around when none of the others followed him he turned back, "Well, are you coming? If you're going to be sailing with me, the least you can do is trust me. I'll give you the heading and we'll work from there, ay?"

The crew nodded reluctantly and followed him out the door. Will took Elizabeth's arm and held her back. He looked her in the eyes and said, "You don't have to come."

Elizabeth looked into his eyes, trying her hardest not to avoid his gaze, "Where else would I go?"

Will looked at her and nodded. She was so beautiful. He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment before walking out to join the crew. Elizabeth stood in the doorway, watching him walk away. The locket was cold on her chest.

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**The next chapter will glimpse back to Jack and will probably track Norrington in Port Royal. Thanks for reading and please review!**


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